The Board of World Mission is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Thiele has joined our staff as the Administrative Assistant. Elizabeth grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the Good Shepherd Moravian congregation. From a young age, she was involved in the life of the church and its mission in the community. Even as a child she knew that serving would be her vocation, but the specific ministry to which she was called did not become clear until later in life. She studied English and International Relations at Salem College then worked in several healthcare related positions before moving to Bethlehem, PA in 2017 to attend Moravian Seminary. While in Bethlehem, she met and married her husband, Stephen. They live in Easton, PA and welcomed a son, Alan, in February 2021.
In recent years, Elizabeth’s call became clearer as she used gardening in her recovery from a flare of a chronic illness. Growing flowers and vegetables became an integral part of her spiritual practice. Elizabeth is currently working toward earning her Masters in Theological Studies (MATS) and her thesis will examine the Spirituality of Gardening. She hopes to design techniques for use by spiritual directors to integrate cultivating the earth into their work with directees. Additionally, Elizabeth has transformed their 1/3 acre lot into an urban cut flower farm. She hopes to start a flower ministry in the future where she can arrange bouquets for shut-ins and residents of care facilities in the Lehigh Valley.
Elizabeth is excited about the opportunity to work with an organization dedicated to building a stronger worldwide Moravian community. She looks forward to supporting the staff at the Board of World Mission and sharing in the passion the team has for serving, supporting, and walking alongside our international brothers and sisters in their call to spread God’s love in the world.
As Administrative Assistant, Elizabeth will be responsible for the daily operations of the Board of World Mission. She provides a crucial connection between remote staff members as well as overseeing much of the correspondence between the Board of World Mission and local congregations, supporters, donors, and individuals interested in serving. She will “keep the trains on time” by managing day-to-day finances and logistics related to the work of the board, staff, and volunteers. Welcome, Elizabeth!
